Dream start to pro ball for Kobie Taylor

Still just 18, Kobie Taylor’s baseball career figures to have a lot more special nights in it.

But Sunday night will be one those he doesn’t forget for a while.

Playing in just his second game as a professional, the former Portsmouth High School standout smacked two home runs to lead his Spokane (Wash.) Indians to a 10-0 win over Boise and a split of their Single-A doubleheader.

Afterward, he got a water-bucket dousing from teammates as he prepared to do an on-field interview. When he finally got to his phone, the messages from back home were waiting.

“That’s the first time (that’s happened) right there,” he said on Monday, preparing to go to practice. “It was a little chilly but it was phenomenal. … (And) my phone was going crazy after the game. It was awesome.”

For Taylor, a 15th-round draft pick of the Texas Rangers last June who bypassed a more-than-50-percent scholarship to Vanderbilt to turn pro, just being on the Avista Stadium field this weekend was a long-awaited desire.

The thumb injury that cost him games during his senior year at Portsmouth High School accompanied him when he reported to the Rangers’ facility in Surprise, Ariz., in late June. He was evaluated and placed on the 60-day disabled list on July 1.

“I missed it, for sure,” he said. “It was tough to sit on the bench all summer with the thumb injury.”

Healed and motivated, he showed enough during extended spring training — the period after the long-season affiliates break camp — to be one of five outfielders assigned last week to Spokane, the Rangers’ short-season Single-A affiliate in the Northwest League, whose alumni include Ian Kinsler and Carlos Beltran.

"It was a nice surprise," Taylor said, of the notification. "I felt like I'd played my heart out and played real well in extended spring training."

He collected his first pro hit — a single — in the first game he played Saturday, then — batting leadoff in Sunday’s nightcap — homered to lead off the bottom of the first. He added a two-run shot in the fourth and is 3-for-6 to open his season.

Taylor, a Greenland native who turns 19 on Aug. 13, is the third-youngest player on the roster, older than only infielder Cristian Inoa of the Dominican Republic and Miguel Aparicio of Venezuela. The two highest-profile players are pitchers Cole Ragans and Alex Speas, the Rangers’ first- and second-round draft picks from a year ago.

Like most of the players, Taylor is living with a host family — and a teammate — and has already gotten a taste of the city’s restaurants and attractions. The team hits the road for a six-game trip starting Tuesday, wrapping up in Vancouver.

And, while there are 72 games remaining before the season concludes on Labor Day weekend — including the series finale against Boise on Monday (9:30 p.m. EST) — he is plenty happy with the start.

“Surreal,” said Taylor. “I couldn’t have dreamt it up any better, that’s for sure. It’s kind of what you dream of.”

Halfway home

While Taylor’s season is just getting started, Ryan McKenna hit the halfway point of his long-season campaign with the Single-A Delmarva Shorebirds on Sunday.

McKenna, whose walk-off single in the 13th inning last week ended a 5-4 win over Kannapolis, has been a featured player for the Orioles’ farm club, leading the team in games played (63) and at-bats (243), and ranking second in hits (51).

After two months as the everyday center fielder and leadoff hitter, the 20-year-old McKenna, a fourth-round draft pick by the O’s out of St. Thomas Aquinas in 2015, has been moved up and down the lineup in recent weeks. He’s hitting .235, but only one regular on the team — outfielder Jake Ring — is batting above .260.

He’ll try to cut down on his team-high 80 strikeouts in the second half for the Shorebirds (29-39), who have not promoted any position players to advanced-A Frederick.

Mavs on move

The Seacoast Mavericks are off on Monday, but have Futures League games scheduled on 16 of 17 days starting with Tuesday’s game against Wachusett at Leary Field (6:35 p.m.).

On the mound, the most impressive pitcher has been Luke Dawson (Bentley), who’s delivered three quality starts, including in Sunday’s 7-4 win at Pittsfield. He owns a 2-0 record and 0.90 ERA, allowing 15 hits and two walks in 20 innings, and leads the Futures League with 22 strikeouts.

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